1254-1324

Italian Merchant

Marco Polo's extensive travels led him to China, where he spent 17 years and established himself as an official in the Mongolian court. He recorded his experiences in Il milione, or "The Million," a classic of travel literature known in English as "The Travels of Marco Polo."

Polo was the son of an itinerant merchant. His father, Niccolò, and uncle, Maffeo, spent many years traveling and trading before Marco was born. In fact Marco was around the age of 15 or 16 when he first met his own father. By then Niccolò had established great wealth for his family, though whether or not he was an actual member of the aristocracy is unclear.

Little is known of Polo's early years in Venice, however, details are abundant once his travels began. Polo's father had years earlier established a good relationship with the Mongol court and the Emperor...